Officials: All Pittsburgh Police To Have Body Cameras In 2019

A Point Park University police officer wears a body camera on his uniform.

Megan Harris
/ 90.5 WESA

Officials say all Pittsburgh police officers will be equipped with body cameras by next year.

More than 500 of the department's 900 officers have the cameras, and 400 more are to be ordered. The cameras cost about $500 each.

The Tribune-Reviewreports the department also plans to test a sensor that activates a camera when an officer pulls a weapon.

Cmdr. Ed Trapp tells the newspaper the sensor is needed because officers occasionally forget to turn on a body camera during an urgent call.

The police officers' union has a pending complaint with the state labor relations board that alleges the city is in violation of the police contract by forcing officers to wear cameras and not allowing them to review footage before being questioned after a serious incident.

Pittsburgh Public Schools board representative Kevin Carter says he did not sign a letter of support for Amazon’s HQ2 that bears his signature. And the solicitor for the school district, whose office procured that letter, says an investigation will begin immediately.